RI farmers form association

RI farmers form association

JAKARTA: A number of farmers producing organic food have
formed the Indonesian Organic Goods Producers Association (APOI)
here on Thursday.

The farmers signed a declaration of the new association at the
City Hall, APOI chairman Purbo Winarno said.

"The establishment of the association follows the recent
meeting of a group of organic food producers concerned about
Indonesia's agriculture sector," Purbo said.

APOI, he said, would help the Indonesian government improve
the quality and quantity of the country's agricultural produce
through organic farming, and hopefully, the environment.

The new association groups producers of food crops,
horticultural crops, plantation crops, fishery products, marine
products, husbandry products, organic seedlings, organic
fertilizers and bio-pesticides.

Organic goods are still unpopular among Indonesians, many of
whom do not believe that they are useful, Purbo said, and that
provincial administrations had yet to promote organic products.
-- Antara